Recap prepared by:Â Rob Cope
Date:Â September 14, 2016
The Atlanta Braves lost to the Florida Marlins today by a score of 7-5. Young starting pitcher Julio Teheran showed flashes of brilliance but ultimately had 2 innings of allowing more than 1 run, and did not make it out of the 5th inning. The offense did well with Matt Kemp contributing multiple RBIs, and Nick Markakis hit a home run. Because of the short outing by the starting pitcher, five relievers were used. Two relievers gave up important runs.
Additional notes:
A benches-clearing ruckus ensued after some beanball wars erupted in the game. Jose Fernandez, Atlanta’€™s most cherished opponent, hit Markakis after Teheran hit Martin Prado in the previous inning. Nick had also hit a home run earlier in the game. Jose Ramirez then dusted Fernandez off the plate in the 7th with a high-and-tight fastball. Ramirez knew he did it, and started walking towards Fernandez. Fernandez started walking towards Ramirez, and Flowers got in his way and yelled at him. The benches cleared, and while nothing happened, it was nice to see some fight to the team. Flowers got in Fernandez’s face, and Freeman and Jace got in front of Ramirez yelling at Fernandez. Eddie Perez and Inciarte also got really heated too. I would love to see a rivalry between Fernandez and the Braves for the next decade. It’s just good television, and it was great to see the Barves€™ having each other’s backs.
Let’s get Prado and Francoeur back to this side then bean Fernandez every AB until he snaps and let T-Flow kick the ever-lovin’ crap out of him!
I’d really like to see the Twins get hot here. The last time they were hot, incidentally, was the last time they played us. That was their last 2-game win streak. They immediately got ice cold when they left Atlanta, losing 13 in a row. Baseball is a funny game.
Keith Law wrote a piece on top prospects who have taken a step back. He had this to say about Sean Newcomb:
“I’ve brought this up before with Newcomb when fans asked why he wasn’t ranked higher: He doesn’t have even average control, and, given his arm action, which is loose and easy, I don’t see an easy path to improvement. He has the three pitches to be an above-average big league starter, but walking a man every other inning — 12 percent of total batters faced — isn’t going to cut it.”
@2
He’s really done well limiting walks lately. Hopefully it’s a sign of things to come.
Since 7/30: 39.2 IP 14BB 51K 2.04 ERA
2—It’s unclear to me how a quadrupled innings total at AA and an accompanying reduction in BB/9 by ~0.5 over the full season (and by ~1.5 in AA alone) is a “step back,” but I guess Keith’s lofty preseason ranking assumed even more substantial improvement…despite noting even then that he didn’t foresee improved control.
He must have anticipated a substantial improvement. I think the expectation of the majority is that a second year of AA would see a considerable clean-up of the walks, and he’d be in Atlanta by now. That hasn’t happened specifically because he’s had such a short run of improved control. I think “step back” is a reach, but it would seem he’s been a disappointed to a certain degree. The insufficient steps forward of the high-ceiling guys like Sims and Newcomb are as much to blame for our SP woes as the ineffectiveness at the ML level of lower-ceiling guys like Blair, Jenkins, and Whalen.
In other news, I saw Blair in the duguout last night, a day after he pitched at AAA. Does that suggest that he’s ended his “rehab” in AAA and will be joining the roster soon? Not that I particularly want to see his mule face right now, but Josh Collmenter and his 84 MPH fastball doesn’t rev my engine.
It wasn’t really a second year of AA, though — he only had 36 innings at that level in 2015.
I’m just one random dude, but I’m not at all disappointed by Newcomb. I’m fairly encouraged, actually; the reports I read on him when the Braves acquired him had me expecting less than what he turned in this year. I think the problem is just that Keith ranked him much too aggressively last year, because IMO, his prospect status is on the rise.
Rob Cope at 5,
Yes Blair is up and may draw a start in a few days. Source: papablair at Talking Chop.
I’m holding out for a Touki Toussaint Rampage in 2017.
Toussaint/Allard ’20. It’s Time For A Change(Up).
What? Did I violate the No Politics Rule?
Let’s get this guy:
http://deadspin.com/the-most-interesting-and-dominant-baseball-player-in-th-1786670490
@9
Holy cow, it’s the Japanese Babe Ruth!
“It’s one thing for American baseball fans to pour cold water on a player who is either a great hitter or a great pitcher in Japan—Meeewwww, what about Daisuke Matsuzaka and Kosuke Fukudome? Mewww”
Someone’s been into my Makers!
Always felt like Kosuke’s last name must be Japanese for “Metrodome.”
New thread.
My All-Turner Field 25-Man Roster
Rules: Starters, of course, are starters, but to round out the 25-man, I’m including people that, at one point, were primarily bench players. While DeRosa was a starter at times, he was a bench player for the majority of his time in Atlanta. Would Rafael Furcal make the hypothetical roster over DeRosa? Sure, but a guy who was primarily a starter will not be on the bench.
LINEUP
RF – Jason Heyward
LF – Justin Upton
3B – Chipper Jones
1B – Freddie Freeman
CF – Andruw Jones
C – Javy Lopez
2B – Dan Uggla
SS – Andrelton Simmons
BENCH
David Ross
Mark DeRosa
Martin Prado
Omar Infante
Matt Diaz
ROTATION
Greg Maddux
Tom Glavine
John Smoltz
Tim Hudson
Julio Teheran
BULLPEN
Craig Kimbrel
Jonny Venters
Eric O’Flaherty
John Rocker
Mike Remlinger
Peter Moylan
Kerry Ligtenberg